RIYADH, 25 April 2007 — Combating terror was the focus of talks between Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday.
“The Saudi foreign minister showed understanding and expressed his concern over the terrorist activities in my country,” the visiting Sri Lankan minister told Arab News following his talks with Prince Saud.
Bogollagama said he explained to the prince how the island had lost some of its great leaders like former President Ranasinghe Premadasa, former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and prominent Tamil political leaders due to terrorism.
“We have lost around 65,000 innocent people due to terrorist activities,” he said, accusing the Tiger rebels of extorting funds from Tamil Lankans overseas to buy weapons. “Even 90,000 Muslims who were living in the north were chased out from their permanent abodes and they are now living as refugees in other parts of the country.”
The government has been trying to come to a negotiated settlement for the past three decades, Bogollagama said, adding that it needs support from the international community to overcome this problem.
“There is no justification for LTTE (the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) activities since all the communities in the island have been living in harmony for decades,” he said. “The LTTE’s writ is confined to only two of the country’s 25 districts.”
The two ministers agreed to fast track agreements on combating terrorism, extradition, prisoner exchanges, air traffic and eliminating double taxation.
During his meeting with Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, who is also the chairman of the Saudi Fund for Development, Bogollagama sought financial support for the construction of a second international airport at Weerawila, located 250 km away from Colombo.
The visiting minister also paid a courtesy call on Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman where both discussed issues of social and cultural interests.
He is expected to meet Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah before his departure today.
Saudi Ambassador in Colombo Mohamed Mahmoud Al-Ali and Sri Lankan Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq were present during the talks with the Saudi officials.
